Funny Mixup
by Rashel k
Summary: After years apart the gang finally comes back together only for a mishap with a dangerous potion by a certain Shaman that possible changes their lives for good. Follow the gang as a whole load of trouble ensues, feelings are confronted, friendships tested and a whole load of trouble follows them at every turn. Wackiness and explicit scenes to follow.
1. Chapter 1

**Yo yo yo! Welcome back, Pucca fandom ^^ **

**New story for you guys. Hope you enjoy :)**

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"Puuuuuca! Puuuuuca!"

The incisive calling of her name roused the young woman from her much needed slumber. She muttered to herself, groaning as the light attacked her face when she had built enough courage to face its bright gaze. She sat up, scrubbing her face with the back of her hands simultaneously shifting loose strands of long black hair from her vision.

Pucca shuffled out of her bed and staggered towards her evil window that had betrayed her, letting the devilish sunlight in. Peering out she noticed her friend, whose voice had ejected her from her bed, and she felt the urge to throw something substantially heavy at her. That thought caused a tired smile to stretch her dry lips. She needed a drink.

"Finally!" Her friend scolded her. "Do you realise how long I was calling?"

"No, please enlighten me. You could also explain to me why you were even yelling for me in the first place." Ching grinned up at her.

"Can I come up?"

"You might as well hide from my neighbours up here."

Pucca shuffled back into her room to flop on her bed, listening as her friend bounced up the stairs and skipped into her room. She was luck Pucca's uncles were already at work or she'd have gotten a real ear full. "I can't believe you're still in bed."

"Hey, unlike _some_ of us I have multiple jobs and school tuition to pay." Pucca had started University a year ago, studying English with a side teaching degree so she could study abroad at the end of her second year, but she still hadn't gotten used to her late hours. She could count the number of hours she'd had in the past two days alone on one hand.

"Stop complaining," Ching teased. She knew her friend was working way too hard, even for her. She desperately wanted to help her, but Pucca scarcely had hours free as it was and with Ching's own work at the Youth Training Academy it had became extremely difficult to see each other for more than an hour every two weeks.

"Get up and get dressed."

Pucca groaned like a child, snuffling under her quilt again pushing her face into her soft pillow. She felt a cold hand grab her ankle and give a sharp tug so she was practically holding onto the mattress with her nails to stop herself from falling face first onto the floor. "Stop!" She laughed as Ching shook her legs up and down like she was airing out a towel.

"Well, get up." With every word she timed her shaking, increasing Pucca's laughter.

"Okay, okay!"

Once Pucca had conceded Ching, with a sly smirk, laid her legs onto the floor gently. Pucca pulled a face at her when she walked towards her wardrobe, Ching smoothly taking Pucca's place sitting on her bed. Pucca began to pull out her regular clothes, a long sleeved loose red top and black bottoms when Ching stopped her.

"No, not those."

Pucca pirouetted on her heel, stubbornly placing a hand on her hip, "Why not?" She lifted her brow, "What do you have planned?"

"Nothing," Ching smoothly replied. Pucca suspicions rose. To anyone else Ching appeared totally calm and honest, but they had been friends for far too long for her to be fooled. She saw the strain in Ching's eyes as she forced herself to look at Pucca in the eye before directing them as if surveying the room casually.

"Uh huh." She decided to play along, curious to see where this would lead. "Then what should I wear?"

Ching bounced up to be next to her, ruffling through her quite minimal wardrobe. She began laughing, pulling out a bumble bee costume from when she was little. "You still have this?"

Pucca grabbed it from her, hiding her own smile and assuming a stern expression. "Of course, Uncle Dumpling made this. He'd be crushed if I threw it out."

Ching reached in to pull out another costume, this time a fairy complete with gorgeously intricate wings that had made even Ring-Ring bright red with jealousy. Pucca snatched it away as well. "Okay, enough with the embarrassing costumes. What would you like me to wear now?" Pucca was relieved when Ching, with an amused shrug began to seriously look for some decent clothing, the one costume she had not pulled out thankfully left at the back of her wardrobe. She'd be mortified if people knew she still had the only costume she had ever made which had fooled Tobe into attacking her rather than his rival.

Pucca's chest twinged, remembering the simple times before a certain ninja went off to the depths of Japan.

"This one," Ching declared. Pucca looked at the dress she had pulled out, a simple light blue summer dress with a darker blue sash around the waist. Pucca looked up from the dress to see her friend holding out matching knee length socks and white shoes.

"Is this really necessary? You're wearing..." Pucca finally noticed that Ching was not wearing her usual attire either; rather she was dressed quite sweetly in a white fitting dress with a red cardigan hiding her bare shoulders. Ching twirled for Pucca's appraisal and was pleased with her response.

"Hurry and get dressed. I'll wait downstairs."

Before Pucca could repeat her earlier question Ching had disappeared down the stairs in her usually chirpy way. What on earth was she up to? Pucca quickly dressed herself, running a brush through her long glossy hair and tying it up into twin buns. When she came down Ching was bounding on the balls of her feet in impatience.

As soon as she spotted Pucca she grabbed her hand and rushed her out of the door.

...

They had walked for some time before Pucca sighed with exasperation. She had been quizzing Ching the entire way but the sly woman wouldn't yield under her consistent probing and eventually Pucca grew too tired to continue. Ching had dragged her past her beloved scooter, declaring that it was too nice a day to ride around so quickly. Baffled, Pucca had allowed herself to be pulled down many of the small roads of the village and missed her chance to ride her baby around to wherever it was she was meant to be going.

By the time they had reached their destination Ching described Pucca's behaviour to be that of a child, pouting and annoyed. Being sleep deprived, Ching figured she should consider herself lucky that Pucca didn't stomp her feet and whine like a child too. "We're here!"

Pucca looked around the small clearing, confused to why they were here. It was pretty, sure, but why... Then she noticed the picnic blanket and assorted cutlery lay out not far from them in the centre of the sunlit clearing. She smiled sweetly at her closest friend in the world. "Now are you happy you got out of bed?" Ching asked accompanying a gentle jab in Pucca's side with her elbow.

"Don't push your luck" Pucca teased back.

The girls sat down and began to help themselves to the assortment of foods and grape juice, laughing as they told stories from their separate lives.

Pucca smiled brightly, "Thanks Ching."

"For what?" she queried as she took a sip of her juice.

"For getting me up. Getting me out of the house for a while," she raised her cup as if giving a toast, "even if you did wake me up from much needed sleep and caused me to consider mass murdering for a moment."

Ching bowed, "It was my pleasure." Something caught her eye and it was her turn to grin. "Actually Pucca, I didn't just get you out her to catch up." Pucca frowned.

"I had an ulterior motive, and it seems like it has just arrived." Ching indicated her head and Pucca, suddenly terrified, followed her gaze into the thicket behind them.

She held her breath as a figure stepped out of the shadows, her chest squeezing so much that she couldn't draw air into her lungs at all. She swallowed and met the intense dark gaze of the only man she has ever had such strong feelings for. Suddenly she didn't know how to act. He had left so, so long ago... and it wasn't like he had ever returned her feelings. She stood on uneven ground blinking as she tried to think of anything to greet him. Pursing her lips, a mask fell into place and she bowed formally, like one should when welcoming a warrior home from a long trip. "Welcome back, Garu."

Ching looked between the two, all at once regretting her plan. Her own stomach dropped at Pucca's formal greeting and she saw similar surprise pass Garu's face before he returned her bow with a short one of his own. "Thank you." Garu turned to give Ching a small bow which caused Ching to scramble to her feet to reciprocate. An awkward silence fell as none quite knew how to approach the tense atmosphere that had appeared between the two childhood friends.

"Garu, w-wont you join us?" Ching attempted to speak, her voice wavering slightly.

"I'd hate to intrude," he began.

"Oh come on buddy," a male voice joyously broke through the atmosphere, "we can't deny such an offer from two lovely ladies." Oblivious to the tense situation, a muscular tanned man with long black hair wrapped his arm around Garu's neck, and Ching had never been so happy to see Abyo again. He winked at her, and even after so many years apart her heart still soared from the simple action.

"Yes, please join us," Pucca formally invited; gesturing for the men to take a seat around the picnic blanket she wished she could roll herself up in and disappear.

Abyo flopped down and didn't hesitate to dig into the food supplied, complimenting Ching at her cooking. Despite the food being extremely minimal, rice balls and the likes, she flushed at the compliment but composed herself enough to chill him for his sloppy table manners. Surprisingly, Abyo took notice and sat straight, his manners dramatically improving. All that training had done him some good, Ching couldn't help but think. Minutes in she noticed that Pucca and Garu had yet to speak to each other. They sat in silence, picking at their food and sipping their drinks, looking anywhere but each other. Well, that wasn't all true. She did catch Garu sneaking confused glances at Pucca who refused to even breathe in his direction. Her body way also pointed away from him, hands when unoccupied folded neatly on her lap.

"So Garu," she began when she could get a word in between Abyo's chattering, "how was Japan? Anything like the rumours?" If Pucca refused to ask him the questions, she would just so it might stir life back into her and relax poor Garu.

"Busy. Crowded and busy."

Gee, thanks for elaborating, Garu. She looked to Abyo to pick up the hint, which thankfully he did.

"Yeah, Garu wasn't one for the big crowds so he tended to stay away from the towns and remain in camp. The amount of people in one place was amazing, and the shop lights at night were pretty dazzling. You'd have liked it Ching, there were so many unique stores and a huge variety of food from all over the world!" He punched Garu in the arm lightly, "but one of us wouldn't know about it. I'd say it was too bad that you never went into the towns Garu but without you there I'd get a lot more attention from the ladies." He laughed and Ching both wanted to punch his big mouth shut and hid her face in her hands. So much for him helping. To anyone else Pucca looked unaffected by Abyo's comment of the women, but Ching saw the way Pucca's muscles jumped and her body went ridged in jealousy.

"So when will you be leaving?" Pucca suddenly spoke up, shocking everyone into listening. Ching noticed how Garu flinched ever so slightly and his face darkens at Pucca's tone.

"Want rid of us already, Pucca? That's cold," Abyo played, touching his chest as if wounded.

"We are only back for a few days." Garu answered her, copying her tone perfectly. Ching shivered at the chill between the two and she had to wonder why she had allowed them to sit next to one another. They could cause the next ice age if they kept it up.

"Oh, what day?" Ching asked Abyo.

"Sunday morning. But not to worry, we'll be back during the winter."

"The Captain wants the men to look forward to their break so they work harder when they come back." Garu wished for this holiday to already be over with.

"More like he wants something to use as a threat to make the guys work harder," Abyo huffed. Clearly he wasn't a fan of the Captain's methods.

"Well, you must have learned quite a bit when you were away. Care to teach me something? The kids would be thrilled to have some new material to practise," Ching smiled with a tender look to her eyes. She really did care for the children she tutored at the Academy, Pucca thought which brought a smile to her own lips. Garu caught it and was surprised how it stirred his insides with this warm feeling. Strange, he frowned.

Abyo had already lead Ching off to the side and began to run a few simple drills with her to ease her in, leaving the two behind. Silence descended for some time before Pucca went to speak. She realised how horrible she was treating Garu, who couldn't possibly know why she was upset when even she couldn't comprehend it.  
Garu beat her to it. "When we parted ways, we didn't leave on great terms did we?"

She looked at him, for the first time since they sat down, in surprise. "What do you mean?"

He shifted, looking ever so uncomfortable and as adorable as ever. Damn him. "When... When you came to see me off I was very short with you..." He cleared his throat. He had felt guilty for years because of that incident, how he had caused her face to flush and tears to fill her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Pucca blinked. "There's nothing to apologise for. You did what was necessary to get me to leave. Besides, it's in the past."

The two quietly listened to the soft connections of the two sparring in the woods. Garu went to attempt conversation again when he caught a rustling behind him. He sprung to his feet and surveyed the area. Pucca peered up at him, his fiercely strong features that were so different and yet similar to his younger self. She scolded herself for thinking how handsome he had become. She had come to her own kind of peace with her unrequited love, and his distance for so many years had helped her heal and let go of him. She couldn't let one picnic change all of her hard work.

Garu slowly drew closer to the earlier noise, his senses heightened through his vigorous training. He sprang only to watch a shadow run from the scene. He began to chase down the figure when he noticed the notice following him. It was louder than his but quiet enough to cause him to feel cautious. He hid behind a large oak, confident that he could follow the first's tracks, and waited for the sounds to come closer. When he rounded on the person he was stunned and it was only due to his complete control of his body did he stop short of hitting the figure.

Pucca gasped, backing away from the looming Garu. After a second to calm her thudding heart she glared at him. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Me? You're the one following a warrior chasing down a possible threat!" Garu, composure forgotten, raked a hand threw his long hair, tied neatly in a low ponytail.

"You never change."

Pucca huffed. "Like you'd even know if I've changed."

"What?" Garu peered down at her. When he had seen her sitting in the sunlight, he experienced the strange warmth in his stomach, and he had taken the time to watch her laughing. Her hair shining in the light, small sections haven fallen from their bindings framing her face artistically. She had grown up well, her height haven changed by several inches since they were kids, her face slim but glowing and well nourished. Her toned calves peaking out of the sides of her flowy white dress, reassuring him that she had been exercising despite his absence, his surveillance of her well being stopping short when he caught himself staring too long at her legs, following the smooth skin higher... higher... That's when he caused the bush to shake and catch Ching's eye to indicate his arrival. He was an honourable man, he had worked so hard to be seen as such, but this woman had always upped him in some way. Even now she made him confused, and he was never confused. He was the Captains right man, his next in command, so he knew his 'stuff' as Abyo put it.

Pucca, rolling her eyes haven long gave up the cold shoulder because of how irritating she now found this tall dark man, stalked past him.

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think? To follow that guy!"

Automatically, Garu reached out and grabbed her arm. Her skin was as soft as it was pale. "You can't."

Pucca rounded on him, thankful to break the contact of his hand on her which sparked things beneath her skin that she had thought she had forgotten. "I can't? _I can't_?" Garu watched as Pucca's cheeks flushed with accumulated anger, "Who are _you_ to tell me what I _can _and _cannot do_? I am not a little girl anymore, nor a warrior beneath your order, and I am _not_ someone you can boss around." Pucca was glaring at him throughout her rage induced rambling but after the rage began to drain from her body she felt exhausted.

On the other hand, Garu felt his own anger building at her outburst. He swallowed, trying to cool his own blood. It'd do no good for him to blow up like she had at him. He could already see her face relaxing and it was then that he noticed how drained she was, which got him wondering what had been going on since he left. She was only twelve when he left, and here she stood a twenty two year old woman. So much had changed and he hadn't been there to see it, and to his surprise he felt a small piece of sadness filter through his system. "I'm sorry. Let's return to the picnic. Ching and Abyo must be wondering where we've gone off to."

Pucca drew in a deep breath and nodded, stalker forgotten.

"We wondered where you two went off to," Pucca sighed at the hopeful tone in her friend's voice.

"Yeah, we were going to finish up and leave you behind," Abyo said matter-of-factly, earning him a punch to the shoulder from Ching.

"We-"

"We thought we might as well spar like you two," Pucca interjected. No need to worry them, and after all they did spar in a way it was just an emotional match rather than a physical one. A physical fight would have been preferred, Pucca thought sitting down to take a long gulp of her drink. She frowned as she pulled her hand away from the sticky sides of the glass. Weird.

"Really? Would you show us what moves you taught her, Garu?" Ching pleaded, her eyes alight with the prospect of learning. Garu, who was drinking from his own cup, gulped down the substance rapidly.

"I don't know, Ching. It may not be as exciting as those Abyo taught you." Garu had hoped to deter the conversation onto Abyo's ego which had somehow survived the strict training, making him offer to demonstrate something, but Ching refused to be directed away. "Come on Garu! Pucca, make him show us!"  
Pucca frowned at her. Like she had some form of influence on the man besides her, how ridiculous. To pity her, Pucca glanced at Garu silently asking him what he wanted to do.

"Alright. Only one move."

Pucca watched Garu stand gracefully and hold a hand out to help her up. It would look weird if she refused his help so she accepted but discreetly withdrew as soon as she could. Pucca stood opposing Garu, hoping he had some sort of plan to direct her. Which he did not. He had hoped that Pucca would rush at him, perform some sort of attack and he'd fall like she had broken his defence but she stood there still waiting for instruction or for him to make a move first. Pucca relaxed into a comfortable stance waiting to react accordingly.

Garu finally made the first move, rush her with his arm wide, the sort of sloppy move a drunkard without training would use against a defenceless female. Pucca, rather offended that he'd use such a silly attack, easily deflected him. She then struck out, intended to hit him. He reacted to his full extent then, blocking her and fluidly turning his blocking into a backwards kick. She danced out of the way; glad he'd finally taken the challenge. He'd see that she hadn't taken a lay about way to her practises either. He smirked. Now this form of talking he was comfortable with.

One after another the pair struck and pirouetted from harm. Their onlookers were in awe at how well they performed, seemingly in sync and reading one another's mind. It was only when Pucca had taken an underhanded rout and had pinned Garu beneath her that their audience believed it to be over. She grinned down at him, triumphant. Garu shuffled beneath her, trying to buck her off of him, when he noticed how enchanting her face was beaming down at him. He paused, for reasons he didn't comprehend to just look at her.

Pucca went to get off him but suddenly a gut retching pain travelled its way up her sides into her spine and finally her head. She cried out dropping her head onto Garu's chest, clutching her head. Alarmed, Garu tried to pry her hands away from her face, repeating his question. "Pucca! Pucca, what's wrong?"

She whimpered, pushing her face further into his chest. The pain was agonising, like her very soul was trying to detach itself from her, tearing at every nerve ending and muscle to free itself. As quickly as the pain came about it faded, leaving her weak and uncontrollably weeping. She allowed Garu to push her up and look at her face but he had to hold her there for she had no energy to do it herself. She felt so sleepy that she yawned, barely nodding when her friends asked her if she was okay. Abyo offered to carry her home but Garu waved him off.

Clutching the already sleeping girl to his chest Garu walked off towards her house, perplexed to what had just happened. He had gotten to the edge of the woods to the village when he experienced a sharp sheering pain up his back and into his chest. He fell to his knees, gasping with the pain but determined to hold onto Pucca. He groaned, leaning down over the peaceful woman in his arms. Garu started to recite the Japanese mantra he had be required to sign before every session, focusing on ignoring the pain. To his relief the pain subsided till he was able to regain his footing with little effort. Breathing hard, he focused on getting Pucca to her home so he could collapse in his own neglected house.

...

"What did you think you were doing?" A pale woman with heavily applied make-up paced, shaking with anger. She glared at the buffoon before her who still, to this day, claimed to be a Shaman. "You could have gotten us all caught!" She turned sharply at her laughing companion, "And you!" The red haired man stopped laughing now that she had turned her cold stare onto him so fast he began choking, "You were only meant to draw them away, not let them trail you to our hide out!"

He giggled out of habit, "B-but they didn't follow us to our-"

"But they could of." She bit. She breathed in, calming herself. After all she couldn't have Tobe hearing of her unattractive side. She twirled back to Shaman, "You at least put the poison into Garu's cup, right?"

The Shaman coughed awkwardly, smiling shyly, "Well I couldn't tell which cup was-"

"What?! You could have put it into someone else's? You were instructed to watch to see which cup was his!"

"I-I-I didn't know which was his so I-I-"

The Clown, as she had so lovingly given the nickname though he didn't seem to mind, began to chuckle again. "He spilt it all over the picnic!" The delight in his voice was subdued by a sharp glance from Chief.

"You what?! You said you had perfected that one vial and you go an' spill it?!" Shaman scooted back. "Do you know what this could have done for me?! My Hunny Snuffles may have just wed me if I had brought the news that I had finished his long time rival!"

"Why can't you lie and say you have?" Clown asked.

"Because once he finds out it was a lie he'd... He'd..." Chief shook her head. He wouldn't hurt her. They were in love and she just had to prove her love for him, that's all he's waiting for before he wed's and beds her. "Whatever. We'll see if the potion had any effect in the morning."

And with that the gang settled down in their small shack to get some rest.

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**That's the start. Thoughts? It'll get more interesting as time goes on and more... Intimate ;) But you'll have to wait and see for that. **

**If you guys give this story a lot of love *cough* comments *cough* then you may just get quicker uploads XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Holly cow! It's been like a year since I updated- I am so sorry for that. Life happened and I've been sitting on some of this being already written, hoping to complete it before positing again but this is getting ridiculous :P**

**Well, enjoys this anyway! **_(if anyone still cares about this story, haha)_

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The first thing Pucca noticed when she woke the next morning was how strangely strong she felt. She sat up, feeling the rather nice sensation of her back muscles rippling in the action and how easily her body was responding to the early morning. She hasn't felt this good in the morning since she was in school and simply working at her uncles' shop. She yawned, stretching herself like a cat and went to step out of her covers, needing to pee.

When her legs swung out and rested pretty level with her mattress she finally realised that she wasn't in her own room. Confused, she stood and searched the minimal room, coming across a picture frame which Pucca had forced Garu to keep on display before he went away to train. It was of a couple who looked freakily alike to herself and Garu; though in the picture it was obvious they were a couple. A warm welcoming meowing caught Pucca's attention and she turned in time to catch a small sleek form in her strong hands. "Mio?" The intelligent black cat tilted its head, his ears twitching at what he recognised to be his master's voice but it seemed... off.

Pucca gasped at the sound of her voice, startling Mio to jump from her hands and stand a few feet from her peering up at her bewildered. Pucca slowly brought her hands to her face, her fingertips finding not soft round features but firm masculine attributes. Panicked, she raced for the bathroom, only to despair. Of course Garu didn't have a mirror like any other normal person. Instead, she was forced to look down at her body or rather that of a male's. Her chest was flat despite the well developed muscles protruding from a simple black sleeved t-shirt but her eyes were drawn lower by a aching in her groin. _W-Wh-What was... No, no, no_. Pucca backed up against the wall, as if she could distance herself from the thing standing tall where it _wasn't_ meant to be standing tall. Her breathing was uneven as she lifted the waistband of her cropped bottoms. _Oh god._

...

A blinding light woke Garu rudely that morning, which was weird because he had installed black out curtains when he had first moved into his home. He groaned, shifting his head on his soft pillow, trying to ignore the breeze on his exposed legs as he must have kicked off his sheets during the night. He sighed, attempting to push himself up. His brows hitched together. His body felt oddly weak.

He went to slide out from the mess of bedding sheets when he fell awkwardly onto the floor, his lean legs stuck half still on the bed. He stared at his legs. Garu let his gaze travel up causing him to scramble up crying out in surprise. _What... He had... Two... How?_ He glanced sharply around the room, confirming that he was defiantly in a girl's room, a young adult by the items retained within it. Walking unsteadily, attempting to calm himself by repeating mantras he learned from his childhood, he inched towards the moderately sized mirror pinned to the wall. Taking a breath he steeled himself, only to open his eyes to see a vision of an attractively tousled Pucca staring back at him. He watched as her mouth popped open but heard no sound.

Suddenly he was moving, barely having a rational thought to grab the house keys and a pair of shoes before exploding from the front door, running for all this body was worth.

...

Pucca ran to answer the loud constant banging at the door, knowing already who would be as freaked out as her to cause such a racket. What she hadn't expected, although logic would have dictated this outcome, was to be staring wide eyed at her reflection. Her panting mirror image looked as flustered as she felt. "Pucca?" Her voice questioned delicately. She backed off. _This could not be happening!_ She'd just been working too hard and her exhausted mind was starting to play cruel tricks on her. That was the only solid non-crazy reasoning she could come up with to describe how she could possibly be in this situation.

Pucca no.2 followed her in, hands open to show she was harmless. "Pucca, you better sit down." She followed her instructions but when Pucca no.2 tried to come closer she scrambled away, terrified to have it touch her. Thankfully, Garu was able to remain calm and eventually got Pucca to stop shaking and drink a cup of green tea he luckily still had in his cupboards. "Feeling better?"

He watched as she nodded her head before allowing himself a moment to freak out. Flopping onto his back besides her he pressed his now dainty hands against his temples. _How had Pucca lived with her body like this for so long?_ When he had seen her yesterday she had been glowing, completely healthy, but now he was inside her body he realised just how much putting on that front had affected her body. She needed to recuperate, but he knew she'd never have allowed herself to be docile, and by the extent he was feeling he imagined that she had been running on simply steam for some time now. Even if she thought that she had changed a great deal in his absence, and that he didn't know her anymore, she still held onto these traits he had admired her for way back when.

"How did this happen?"

Garu leaned up onto his elbows at the composed tone she used. She was still quiet yet he could see she had come to; simply trying to understand how this had came about. Something he had been drilling himself for the entire run over here. He laughed. "I'm just as clueless, Pucca." She turned and smiled at him. Curiosity crossed her face and all at once she leaned uncomfortably close, lightly touching his cheek inspecting herself like she would in a mirror. He watched silently, shifting away slighting feeling too invaded to have her that close. He was able to count every eye lash he had and how, though his eyes remained the same in colour and shape, there was a difference behind the driver's seat. A new sparkle had entered his eyes that had never been there before.

"Can you feel that?"

He hid his smile at the bizarre question, "Yes."

Pucca lowered her hand, trailing her fingertips along her slim jaw and down her sensitive neck. Garu's blood spiked, surprised how her simple touch could cause him to feel a clenching within his stomach and warmth further down. "And that?"

He swallowed, "Yes."

Pucca, feeling only curiosity and oblivious for a moment what she was about to do, drew her hand down to smooth over her chest, cupping one of her breasts. She giggled at the realisation that Garu had ran out still dressed in her PJ's. _Garu..._ His quiet intake of breath at her actions caused her mind to snap back. _Garu was inside her body, Garu was experiencing what she was doing, and she was doing this to Garu of all people_. She jerked back, blood gushing to her face which was a spectacle for Garu to watch his own face fill with a bright rouse glow. Garu's face was glowing just as brightly as Pucca's and his uneven breathing matched her own .

"S-S-Sorry!"

Gaur laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I-It's nothing." He heard her huff and looked back to see her shifting embarrassed. "What's wrong?" She shook her head. "Pucca, you can tell me. What is it?"

Unwillingly, but desperate to relieve herself of this pressure, allowed Garu to see the cause of her discomfort. He coloured, but answered her as formally as he could.

"Go take a cold shower. Don't stay in too long or it'll... Hurt." Nodding she raced off leaving Garu to cover his face and return to his lying position of on the floor.

Saying that he was caught off guard to how responsive this body was to being stimulated would be like stating that a jungle cat wouldn't kill you if you gave it lemon tea only to find out later you were sadly mistaken.

Abruptly, he sat up. A cold sweat broke out over his skin as something occurred to him. He was required to retire to the forces in Japan in mere days, and if they couldn't figure out how to reverse whatever had happened Pucca would have to return in his place.

...

Pucca returned, calmed and cold, with a towel wrapped around her tucked in under her arms like a dress. Garu, who had a hardened expression prior noticing her entrance, started to laugh clutching his stomach in pain. "What?" she yelled above his laughter.

"You look ridiculous."

Blushing in irritation, Pucca yanked the cloth from out of its secure position and shifted it down to hand just below her waist, a line of dark hair trailing below it directing the eye down. "Dying habits and all that," she defended herself, stalking towards Garu's chester draws. Raking through the contents Pucca noticed how minimal and repetitive it all was. She was all for keeping it simple but this was absurd. Although something caught her eye and she tugged it out, unable to help the notice she admitted. "Awww. Look how iddy biddy you used to be!" she teased, holding the shirt up against her hardened chest. It looked miniscule compared to Garu's size now, something she had refused to notice upon meeting him again yesterday. Embarrassed, Garu sprung up and attempted to retrieve the garment.

"Alright Pucca, stop fooling around." He jumped for the shirt she was now swinging cruelly out of reach, causing him to feel ridiculous for prancing around her and he was grateful that he was disguised as a girl. This would have been humiliating if someone happened to wonder in.

"I can't even imagine you being able to fit into such a tiny thing," she continued. "You sure were small as a child, I suppose. You were bound to grow once you hit puberty."

"Pucca," Garu growled, but it lost its effect through the twinkling sound of Pucca's voice.

"I wonder how people in town would react if I went walking through wearing this?"

The horror of the suggestion washed over Garu so strongly he went ridged, experiencing the laughter and humiliation of the idea already, his honour shattering before his eyes. Pucca's fun died as she noticed how serious Garu had became, feeling guilty for taking her joke too far. She folded the shirt and neatly placed it back into the draw. "I'm sorry, that wasn't something to be joking about." Garu made some sort of grunt to notify her he had heard and accepted her apology. Quietly Pucca picked up the usual array of clothes and went to get changed, again leaving Garu to search his head for a way of breaking this damn curse.

It had occurred to him that some of the towns' folk would already be gossiping about how Pucca, a young unattached woman, had been seen running in her pyjamas towards a returned ninja's household after his long training in Japan. The rumours' of her 'exploits' had probably already reached her poor uncles. He'd probably embarrassed her name more than she had teased to do to him. At least all she did was tease. Something so small had never bothered him before but that was when he was a man. Now as a young lady he'd have to act more modestly, to save Pucca's good reputation.

"I really am sorry."

Garu, haven been absorbed so completely in his thoughts, hadn't noticed Pucca's presence. Her stance and vulnerable expression was comic on his large well built structure and Pucca noticed his eyes soften. "I know. Come on, we should retrace our steps. We may find something that'll explain all of this. It's a long shot but-"

"It's a start," she finished. Her eyes brightened as an idea struck her and she ran out of the room only to return a few seconds later with a pile of clothes in her hands. Garu went to question where the heck she'd gotten them when she rushed to explain, "Well, when I used to..." She sighed, "Alright, when I used to chase you I decided it was best to leave some of my clothing here encase I ever needed it."

His suspicious eyes glued to her face watching every little twitch, "When would you ever need a spare change of clothes here?"

Pucca rolled her eyes. "You know how often we all got into scraps. I couldn't keep returning to my uncles with ripped clothes; they'd lecture me to try and resolve my problems verbally first." She shook her head thinking back to how her uncles' were getting complaints by newly established families in the area. They knew these people were only complaining because her uncles' business was constantly booming and they thought by going after the less ladylike charge would somehow increase their business. Her uncles' only really lectured her twice, once for their benefit and another for her to attempt to reserve from tearing all of her clothes. She understood that it was getting expensive to replace her stuff every other week, which lead her to pitying Abyo's poor father. He still received bills for all the clothing Abyo continued to rip in Japan, the trainers refusing by the third month to replace his uniform after he continued to disobey and ruin them.

Satisfied with the answer, Garu gratefully accepted the clothes and went to change himself. He spent as little time as possible viewing his body nude, not wanting to taint Pucca's form with any disrespectful thoughts. "Ready?" Pucca questioned him when he came back dressed in a simple long sleeved red top and a black skirt with matching sock and, despite his rush to get over there, matching shoes.

"Yes-"

"Oh wait!" Pucca stepped closer reaching out towards Garu who backed away instinctively. The warmth had finally died down in his body so he didn't want her to reignite it. "I'm just going to put your, my, hair up. It'll make it a real pain later to comb if it gets tangled." Garu obediently turned around so Pucca could run her fingers through his hair, carefully undoing any knots and tying it up into a neat but. She didn't have another hair tie to do her normal hairstyle and she doubted Garu could hold still any longer than necessary.

"Done?" He was impatient. His impending return to Japan hanging over him made him anxious to get this sorted quickly, not just for his sake but for Pucca's. He felt her fingers retreat and heard a slight hum as a response. "Good." He politely offered Pucca to walk out ahead of him, which would have been an amusing sight in their situation, and unconsciously switched his houses complex security system on as he shut the door behind him. Garu hopped that they would be able to avoid everyone till they somehow switched back yet he had a sinking feeling that whispered to him that he was living in a fantasy world.

Watching the comical pair leaving the house was an unobserved Clown, holding his mouth as to not emit his laughter. _This was the best joke he'd seen. Ever.  
_

...

Once the couple was out of sight Clown let out his cackling laughter, rocking on his feet with the force of it. He began prancing his way back to his group, enjoying the image of a Grucca and Puru (names he had generously given them in his utter delight) apparently squabbling as they exited the house. Chief was the first to follow the irritating cackles to meet Clown, quickly followed by Shaman who was looking hopeful. One could never tell if it was good or bad news with Clown, he laughed at too many things to be sure.

"Well?" Clown grinned at Chief, went to relay what's happened and cracked up again into a fit of laughter. Chief's face started to turn purple. "Answer, dammit!"

Between giggles Chief managed to make out the gist of what happened. She turned on Shaman, "you were positive you made a poison, right? Care to explain to me how on _earth_ did you manage to mistakenly make a body switching potion instead?" Shaman stuttered, unsure of how to answer her. He had been positive; Night-nine percent positive in fact. He guessed he may have added too much jasmine when he was absently started to read ahead in his dark magic books... Clown tittered in the background; even he was starting to feel the anger radiating from Chief.

Shaman dared to ask her what they were to do next.

Like a stretched rubber band, Chief snapped back into the calm cheerful leader she was in front of Tobe. "We'll follow them and wait for an opportunity."

"Opportunity for what?"

"To finish Garu once and for all."

"But... Pucca-"

"An inconvenience," she chirped on, "but not a deal breaker, I assure you."

...

Pucca threw her hands up in the air. "Garu, seriously. We've been looking for hours and found nothing. Can't we stop and get something to eat, please?" In her own body she could last for some time without having to restock on energy, she'd grown used to long working hours without breaks, but Garu's body was used to having regular nutrient packed meals so it was taking its toll on her.

Garu sighed, straightening from his crouch where he'd been inspecting the floor of the picnic area. "Just a little longer. If we go into town at peak time we're bound to be drawn into conversation." Pucca bit her lip.

He was right, of course. "Fine," she huffed, slumping down on the floor to 'inspect' a particular patch of grass with intense eyes. Garu watched her for a moment.

"You want to get us back to normal, right?"

Pucca turned her gaze on him, "of course."

"Then stop pouting like a child and help me search for another hour." _He had became harsher from his years of training,_ Pucca mused going to push herself off the floor when her hand hit something slimy. Disgusted by the sensation she jumped up and tried to wipe the offending substance from her fingers. "What are you doing?"

Pucca was too occupied following the slime trail with her eyes. The picnic blanket had been very close to where she had been sitting, not pouting, and the honey like liquid was still gave off a slight sheen haven not completely dried yet. She slowly stepped around the splatters, aiming to find the source.

There it sat beneath some shrubbery. She plucked the vile from the ground, turning it to read the label. The spelling was dreadful but she made out what it intended to say; Silver's Poison. Garu's face peered around her, taking the vile from her for his own inspections. Running his finger around the rim of the vile he tested the consistency. "So this was what made our cups sticky." Of course he noticed that Pucca was also a victim to the stickiness on her cup.

"Who would deliberately try to poison us? Tobe followed you and Abyo when you left. It's been pretty peaceful since then."

"We do know someone who was notorious for getting his witchcraft wrong," he speculated. It'd explain why they hadn't been killed by a so called poison. He watched

Pucca's eyes light up as she came to the same conclusion as he did.

"How will we find him?"

Garu grinned deviously. Now they were in his comfort zone and it was his move.

...

Ching had went to see how Pucca was doing after her strange turn the day before and was surprised into finding her already gone. She questioned a few villagers and smiled broadly when she heard of how Pucca had ran off in the direction of Garu's old home. Skipping, she planned to leave them to get reacquainted. Despite their strange reunion she was thrilled they had gotten past the weird atmosphere between them. Ching had the day off from the Academy due to construction noises making it impossible to teach, so she had planned to spend her time dallying in town, picking up odd pieces here and there. That was until she spotted Pucca and Garu entering a small tea shop in a quiet part of town. Unable to squelch her curiosity, she inched close enough to peer into the window clutching her hand over her mouth to stop herself from whooping with joy. _They had sat together! Alone, in quaint little shop at that.  
_

As she stood there watching she didn't notice the figure looming behind her till it jerked her away from her position behind a building opposite. She yelped at the sudden contact but her reactions were impeccable, grasping the arm slung carelessly around her waist and twisting it so she was now holding him down on his knees.

"Abyo?"

"Yeah, can you get off me?"

She quickly let go and back up. "What do you think you're doing, grabbing me like that?"

"I was moving you into a better spying position. What moron stands out in the middle of the street and gawks at their prey?"

She folded her arms defiantly; "I was not in the middle-" She flushed at his amused expression. Maybe she had been a little careless when she saw them enter the tea room together. "I was not gawking!"

"I'm sorry; do you prefer the term stalking?" He grinned down at the woman who was five seconds from decapitating his genitals from his body.

"What were you doing anyway?" she challenged. "You also followed them here, didn't you!"

Abyo blushed at the accusation. "I was just worried. After how they acted towards each other the other day it just didn't seem right that they were suddenly acting like old buddies."

"They are old friend," Ching pointed out.

"Yes, fine," he growled. "But he wasn't exactly thrilled to be around her before he left. Why would that change so drastically when he comes back?"

Ching pondered that. She was impressed that Abyo even knew words like 'drastically', but it wasn't the time to tease him. She snuck past him and carefully spied around the corner. They had ordered and were now having what seemed to be a rather deep conversation, smiling now and then, making Ching's chest warm with happiness. Pucca had never looked so relaxed since she started working so hard. Real warmth covering the length of her back shocked her into squeaking and she glowered up at Abyo. He smiled down at her for a second then returned his focus on the couple at hand, completely awe that her close proximity was causing him to react... accordingly.

"What do you think their talking so intensely about?"

Ching was in awe of how his chest rumbled with his voice against her back and it took her a moment to recollect herself to reply. "Maybe their catching up, telling one another about what's been happening?"

Abyo chuckled darkly, "Yeah, I'm not sure of that."

"Why not?"

"Let's just say we've had a few Commanders in the past that had interesting ways of disciplining his troops that'd cause nightmares to plague the faint of heart."

Again he spoke unlike the Abyo she knew all those years ago. He sounded grave, well educated and finds new humour in dark matters. They stayed there for quite some time, just watching the pair eat their food. Pucca was particularly different in the way she ate, putting away an enormous amount of food in one sitting. It appeared like Garu was scolding her for her manners and a swift argument played out till Garu threw his hand in the air as surrender. Pucca grinned at him above the rim of her glass. The smile slipped as she caught sight of the two by the wall. They ducked away, praying to not have been seen. When they got the courage to look again, the couple had gone. "Where'd they run off to?" Abyo sprung out from his hiding place, hoping to catch sight of them.

"Why they ran is my issue," Ching bit her lip. This whole situation was beginning to seem strange. Really strange.

"Come on, we'll find 'em. They can't have gone far." Abyo grabbed Ching's hand and pulled her behind him, determined to catch sight of either party. Ching's face betrayed her by igniting a bright red and she had to wonder if her feelings for him had ever dulled since he left when he was ten. They were incredibly young, explaining how neither of the boys displayed any similar interest in them, so Ching had put her feelings down as a silly crush. _Maybe there was more to it than that.  
_

* * *

**I know everyone says this, but comments really do get my butt in gear so please feel free to tell me your thoughts!**

**Anyhow- male and female with a past switching bodies? Well that's bound to bring up some interesting situations, no? :P Muhahaha.**


	3. Chapter 3

**And here's another one! :D**

**As always, enjoy!**

* * *

Pucca ran behind Garu, for reasons he had yet explained to her. "Garu, stop already. Why did we have to leave so suddenly?"

Garu scratched the back of his neck, shifting the stray hairs that'd fallen into his face from running. "Ching and Abyo were spying on us."

A slight pink tint reached Pucca's cheeks, realising how it must have looked; the two of them sitting together like a date, but surely running off would raise their suspicions. "Why can't we tell them? It's silly to keep running away from them; you know they'll be looking for us now as we speak, so why not just explain-"

"You think they'd believe us?"

"Not initially but we could bring them around. Besides, the more we having helping us the faster we can solve this... issue." It was logically sound, making it hard for Garu to argue. "So let's help them locate us quicker?" The mischievous grin on Pucca's face scared him. "Chase me."

"Wha-?"

Pucca sprang at him and it was only because of his quick reflexes he was able to dodge her massive form. "I said chase me, like old times to onlookers."

Crossing his arms he looked entirely un-amused by the idea. "What will that accomplish?"

"Think back. What happened when I used to chase you?"

"You caused havoc. And bruises."

Quirking her eyebrow she let him come to terms with the concept.

"Fine. Run. But make it convincing okay? No stopping so we'll have to..." His cheeks began to glow and he coughed uncomfortable.

He hasn't changed a bit, she mused. "Like I'd want to," she answered to his surprise. She took off and after giving her a few seconds head start he began to chase her, trying to recall how she used to do it way back. He attempted to giggle, smiling like a fool as he flew after her. Their pretend stunt caused many a villagers to yell as they were knocked to the side and their stalls tipped from their groundings. Others were pleasantly surprised to see them at their old antics, obviously recalling fond memories of their own where the pair as children had rushed by in a similar manner.

Only when they heard a familiar voice did they steer themselves out of the village and towards the woods. "Pucca! Garu, wait!" Abyo bellowed, confusion etched so far into his face it felt like it'd become permanent. He was too young to be getting wrinkles already.

Ching, the smart little duck, had looped around the buildings and was able to cut them off a few meters into the trees. 'Garu' pretended to look back horrified at 'Pucca' closing in on him so he didn't notice Ching till he slammed into her. They fell as a heap despite Ching's attempts to stay grounded and on her feet during the collision. 'Pucca' came to a skilful stop before them with Abyo right besides her.

"What is going on here?" Abyo demanded.

"How long you got?" 'Garu' sighed, helping Ching onto her feet.

"As long as it takes."

...

Pucca and Garu shared a look, finally finished explaining their predicament.

"You're pulling our leg," Abyo tried to joke. None could blame him for his disbelief of the pair's story. Garu silently pulled out the vile they had found and passed it to him.

"You know I'm not one to joke."

Abyo just couldn't get his head around it, staring at what looked completely like Pucca, even sounded like her, but it was just in the way she spoke that made him almost believe it. "Okay, I have one question." He looked at the apparent Garu seriously, "What's it like having boobs?"

Pucca's eyes widened, and on impulse, she socked him in the nose.

"Ow!" Abyo glared at her from beneath his hands that cradled his throbbing feature, "uncalled for!"

"But satisfying," she bit back.

Ching stared at 'Garu', trying to see her friend beneath the uniformed strong featured, completely masculine exterior. "Pucca?" 'He' looked at her.

"Yes?"

Feeling bold, "What's it like having a guy's thing down there?"

Pucca coloured. "Ching!" _Yep, it was Pucca alright_. Pucca adverted her eyes, being sure not to catch Garu's expression which was aghast at Ching's language. Sure, she hadn't technically sounded crude but her question was so out of character. Again, Garu noticed how time had changed everyone one of them sitting there.

"Hey," Abyo pouted, "why didn't she get a punch in the nose?"

Ching nudged him with her elbow, smiling innocently, "because people like me."

"They like me too! I was very popular with the ladies back at-"

"People liking you and people wanting to get at your abs are two entirely different things. And only one of which stops you from being hit." She tried not to picture him surrounded by women throwing themselves at him. It wasn't her position to be jealous.

"Anyway," Garu cut in, "we were trying to find a way to locating Chief and her gang."

Abyo smirked in his direction, "You were doing a mighty fine job at that, having a pleasant meal at a tea shop."

"That was my fault," Pucca looked back. "This body wouldn't shut up about being fed."

"And this one desperately wants to go to sleep." To illustrate his point Garu yawned.

"They wouldn't have set up far. They'd want to keep an eye on these two, right?" Ching reasoned aloud. Clearly she'd have to take the lead. Garu was too tired to think straight, and the more Ching watched Pucca the clearer it became that she felt uncoordinated and klutzy in her new larger form. Then there was Abyo, who quite frankly was taking far too much joy from their friend's situation.

"You know, you could be the first man to ever know what it feels like to be on the rag!" His eyes gleamed with amusement and lightened brighter when something else occurred to him. "And you could finally put an end to the 'what hurts more; giving birth or getting kicked in the b-'"

"Abyo," Ching snapped. Garu was able to ignore this idiot, and even Pucca was managing it, but Ching felt like if he continued talking she'd hammer a few nails through his jaw just to gain a few minutes of silence. "We best start looking before it gets dark."

"We should split up," Abyo added, hurt by Ching shortness with him.

"We can't. Pucca and Garu are-"

"He's right," Garu cut in, "we'll cover more ground that way."

Ching crossed her arms glaring at him. "You're in no position to scout out alone."

"I'm perfectly-"

"Garu will go with Ching," Pucca declared. "It solves the problem, right?"

"And you?"

Pucca smirked, shifting on her larger feet with a new confidence, "I'll be fine. This body's at top condition, what could go wrong?"

Ching didn't like the idea of splitting up, less with the idea of poor Pucca being stuck alone or with Abyo, who had volunteered to team up with her. She'd be quizzed on very inappropriate topics, and all they'd end up doing is fighting. "No, Pucca will go with Garu. Me and you will team up and go east." Pointing to Pucca she told them to head west and meet up in a few hours. She missed Abyo's expression which wasn't too upset to be teamed with her. In fact, there was a small gleam in his eye as he watched her take charge.

"If you wanted to be alone with me you could have just said," he winked at her. "I'll always have time for little o'l Ching."

Ignoring the heat in her cheeks she promptly walked ahead, after giving him a hard shove of course, allowing him to enjoy the sight of her backside as she strode away. He'd been truthful with what he said. None could affect him the way this vixen could.

...  
Garu yawned again as he walked. He was dawdling behind Pucca and he could feel her impatience. In his sleep deprived state he let slip how close his leaving date truly was, as a way to get her to take their search seriously. He soon regretted his stupidity when he saw the strain of her neck as he caught up with her, stress etching her face into a scorn.

"Garu, why don't you go home? It'd be a lot quicker if you weren't..."

"Weren't holding you up," he finished.

"I'm sorry Garu, but it's for the best. We both have a lot riding on this, more than the average person. I've been working so hard to secure my future and you with your pending promotion in the army. I couldn't imitate you and vice versa." She placed a hand on his slim shoulder, "go and get some rest. I'll inform you straight away if anything changes." She smiled, almost convincing him to leave.

"You know I can't do that."

She dropped her head, "you're such a pain."

He smiled tiredly, fighting off another yawn. "You better believe it," he mimicked one of her childhood obsessions, besides him. She laughed. He'd remembered how into manga she had been, especially a particular one with an annoying blonde headed brat, whom happened to have that very repetitive phrase. Truly, it had lost all meaning by the end of the first half of the manga. They started walking again, Pucca making sure to stay besides Garu this time to nudge his swaying body back up to keep him conscious. Only the likes of Garu could doze off while walking. Even without her help he seemed to dodge all of the trees and roots without keen focus.

Eventually Pucca began to feel the fatigue slowing her mind. She may be inside an exceptionally fit body but her soul was still reeling from her pervious lifestyle, while Garu was only able to keep going because of his. She yawned in response to Garu's question, "What?"

He smiled at her, making her weary heart shudder. It could easily be mistaken for an affectionate smile. "What have you been studying at university?"

"English with a minor teaching degree. I plan to study abroad next year."

Garu could see Pucca teaching, but English wasn't the subject he had in mind. "What happened to the budding artist I knew?"

Pucca shook her head, "It wasn't a realistic dream. This way I could travel and experience all sorts of cultures." Her eyes gleamed with the prospects.

He wanted to ask her if she had planned to maybe visit him in Japan but he dismissed it. She was no longer the same little girl that constantly ran after him; she was a woman on a mission. A mission that didn't include him. _Why did his chest hurt all of a sudden?_

"Where do you see yourself going?"

Without hesitation he answered, haven thought about his future for many years. "I plan on raising in the ranks, becoming a Commander of my own fleet of men, before gaining the attentions of the War council and regain my honour."

_Again with the honour stuff_. Pucca went to question him on what on earth had happened to his honour before he had moved to the village at the age of ten, leaving quite promptly two and a half years later, but was interrupted by a chanting voice. She frantically looked around, only to spot the source a moment too late. Shaman stood half hidden behind a tree off to their right, glowing beads and shrubbery in his darkened palms. She shoved Garu from sight but didn't have time to save herself from being lifted off the ground by the dark magic. The humming sound intensified as did the feeling of suffocating.

Horrified, Pucca watched as a clear box formed around her. She tried to bang on the walls but it was as if she was swimming in a lake of honey, watching her hands move in slow motion, barely rattling the glass walls. She couldn't shout either, she discovered in dismay. Garu was at the glass, his eyes focused on trying to get her out. He went to hit the glass. Garu blamed his sheer exhaustion for his rashness. Logically, he'd have gone after the sorcerer but he'd been so occupied with the image of Pucca trapped within the glass case that he hadn't thought before trying to break her free. Yanking on his arm he tried to pull away but the wall was sucking him in, encasing him along side Pucca.

Delighted by his catch, Shaman jumped out from behind his perch, beads still shining in his hands. Truthfully, he hadn't believed Clown's plan would work. He stopped dancing; realising now was the gruesome bit. He withdrew a large knife from his hoister by his side, raising the beads as a blessing before stretching them out between two branches ready for the cutting. He kissed the blade, whispering an incantation of sorts, and swung the blade down to cut the life liens of those within his trap.

...

"Where are they?" Ching paced. They found nothing and it had been half an hour since the time the gang had decided to meet up.

"Something must have happened. Garu would never delay an order, especially his own." Abyo glared at his surroundings. "Come on, we're going after them."

Agreeing, the pair hurried in the direction of their friends.

...

Pucca groaned, her head still groggy from the dark magic that had sucked the breath from her lungs earlier. She remembered gasping inside the honey filled box, her heart slamming against her chest in desperate search of air. She'd passed swiftly out after that. Pucca attempted to stretch when she realised she was cramped in a tiny metal crate... and she wasn't alone. Garu lay across her lap still unconscious. Pucca tried to shift to give him a little room, and to relieve her of the throbbing in her crotch and pain in her legs. They'd been stuffed in here for some time if her legs had gone to sleep. She barely shuffled Garu from her groin, bashing her head as she did so. She gripped her head waiting for the pain to pass.

Pucca patted herself down, looking for anything on her person to assist their escape. Finding nothing she slumped against the cold metal. _Why did Garu's legs have to be so damn long?_ She groaned shuffling so her legs were in a half butterfly. No matter where she moved her limbs touched or pushed up against the sides of the box.

She was lucky she could even sit up in the space provided without hitting her head, though she could feel her hair brush the cool metal surface. Rage entered her being, stirring her body more to life. She was going to throttle Shaman when she got out of this damned box, and she _was _going to get out of it. There was no doubt in her mind. And she was going to throttle him till he agreed to turn them back to normal.

Fantasising about booting Shaman's ass into next week, Pucca didn't notice Garu stir on her lap. He coughed, the burning in his own throat mirroring that in Pucca's. Garu twisted to see Pucca smile awkwardly at him. Garu, embarrassed at their entangled limbs, tried to move away and give Pucca her own space but he only ended up kicking and jabbing her with his elbows. She sighed and pulled him back into position on her lap where he couldn't cause her any more damage.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

She smiled over his head. "It's okay." It wasn't. They were stuck in a metal crate with no way of getting out, and to top of the wonderfulness of their circumstance, Pucca felt her groin twitch with the contact Garu was unknowingly encouraging. He stretched his legs out as much as he could. He was stiff from lying so awkwardly for however long and he pitied Pucca knowing she had to be much more uncomfortable than him. He tried to settle himself down and commit to meditating on a way to escape when Pucca growled at him, "Garu, would you stop that already?"

"What?" he looked up at her in surprise.

"Squirming! Would you stop squirming!"

"I'm sorry, am I hurting your legs?"

His oblivious behaviour further frustrated her. _He was a guy, how could he not grasp what he was doing to her?_ Annoyed, she grabbed his slim hips and ground him down on her dilemma to enlighten him, giving out a soft mew in the process from the pleasure the pressure caused. If it were possible for Garu to blush from head to toe, he was sure he would be glowing in the dark. Uncomfortable, he rubbed the back of his neck feeling his long hair completely unbound. "What do you suggest I do?"

"H-how should I know?"

"It's your stupid thing! You should know how to get rid of it." _This was unbelievable._ Pucca knew Garu wasn't the lecherous type, or the type to even think about girls constantly in a sexual manner, but he must have came across said problem before. Abyo even admitted Garu was popular with the women in Japan_. How could he not have reacted to all the pretty women throwing themselves at him? _"Garu?"

He cleared his throat. It was humiliating to admit but he had used another method, besides meditation and cold showers, to rid himself of these devilish moments. He had done it as quickly and emotionless as he could manage, yet he had a terrible secret that none could find out. He was only ever able to... to do that with the image of the girl whose body he now possessed. "There is one way," he whispered.

"What? Come on, tell me."

He straightened his back, ejecting all emotions from his voice. "You are to pleasure yourself till release."

"What?" she squeaked. She had expected him to reply with some sort of mantra or un-arousing thought he used to calm himself down.

"Pleasure yourself till release."

"I-I-I can't do that," Pucca stuttered, her face feverish.

"Then I will assist." Garu began to rock his hips over the bulge pressing up against his own heat. He ignored his own pleasure at this action, determined to only help his friend and not to use the situation for his own gain. That wasn't how he was brought up, in a ninja's household. He felt Pucca buck against him, her head falling to his shoulder in surprise, her startled moans of pleasure attacking his ears. He felt his stomach drop at the thrilling sound of her panting into his neck, and the occasional whimper. He paced himself, changing the tempo at different intervals to further Pucca's pleasure.

"Garu," she whimpered into his hair. He groaned at her voice, submitting to the building friction between their pelvises. "Garu, please..." she breathed. She had grabbed onto his hips, initially aiming to stop him from grinding into her yet somehow her hands had encouraged his movements. "Garu... Garu..." she chanted. Something was building in her stomach and, as if knowing she was on the verge of release, Garu pushed his damp pelvis down onto her length.

He could hear her breathing accelerate, her hands squeezing his hips harder as she neared her end, and in the heat of the moment he pushed himself more forcefully against her. Her voice hitched as she called out his name, nudging him over the edge along with her. He gently road out their exhilarating release that left them panting. Pucca slumped against the cold metal, still softly twitching with aftershocks, blissfully relaxing into the afterglow.

Garu felt himself behind pulled down with Pucca, and despite himself, he found that he was already dozing off against her chest. "Thank you, Garu." He was too far gone to reply to her. "But god damn you, you cruel little man," she heaved a last sigh before joining him in unconsciousness.

...  
"There," Abyo whispered pointing. They had been tracking for hours, haven found Pucca's red hair tie lying on the ground and traced the foot prints to tire tracks. They had finally come to a shipping dock far off from Sooga Village.

Ching squinted down the hill to spot the man they had been search for. Shaman was conversing with a tall lanky man with ridiculously bright face paints covering up his tanned skin. They were quickly joined by a short dark haired woman, dressed smartly in a white collared shirt and fitting thigh length skirt. The woman snapped orders and the men split up quickly to escape the woman's wrath. She watched as one man rushed into a barn close to the dock and emerges with a small metal box on a rolling cart. "They've got to be inside that."

"Both of them?" Abyo had every right to be sceptical. For one human alone it was a tight fit but for two it seemed ridiculous.

"Come on," she whispered making her way quietly down the hill, ducking behind cover whenever possible.

...  
Garu opened his eyes groggily, disheartened to be met with darkness. He was still trapped in the metal crate, though only now he noticed the small gap between the metal shutters allowing a small portion of light to illuminate his crumpled disposition. He looked up at his companion within the box, noticing how sweet she was able to look, even stuck inside his body, with her head flopping to the side. Her breathing was deep and even, her face peaceful. His mind flashed with images of her leaning over his shoulder, groaning with the pleasure, and he turned away quickly.

He had to get them out of here. Get them back into their own bodies and back to their own lives. Garu glanced at the footwear Pucca had chosen to wear and his hopes soured. Why it hadn't occurred to him earlier, he'd ponder later but as of now a loose plan was forming in his head. Gently, he removed her left boot, clicking the heal with the palm of his hand. The almost silent woosh of the blade springing from the toe of the boot brought a delighted grin to his face. Quickly he pressed the blade through the thin crack of the metal lid, aiming to snag the latch and spring their release. He fiddled the blade, feeling the latch just out of reach.

"What are you doing?" Came a curious gruff whisper.

Garu spared her a glance over his shoulder as he continued his exploits with the blade. "You're awake." _Obviously_, his mind sneered. "If only the latch was a tad closer I'd be able to trigger the spring." Pucca sat in silence while he continued to fiddle with his knife, which of course she was clueless to its origins. She had half a mind to question him why he hadn't tried this little trick earlier before all the... Before they... He...

"Can I-"

"Hush."

Pucca's eyes opened at his harsh tone. She was only going to ask him if she could help in some way, however stupid it may have sounded. "That's uncalled-"

"Pucca." He snapped.

Her cheeks flushed with something other than embarrassment. _The nerve!_ "Garu-" his hand flew back to cover her mouth. She went to bite him when she also picked up on the scuffling of feet outside. It was faint, but she could hear the distinct sounds of grunting and a frenzy of foot movements.

The box suddenly jolted to the side, presumably been hit by something. The motion had cause Garu to lose grip on the blade and it fell onto the abyss of the pairs entangled limbs. Frantically searching, the pair were unfortunately subjected to the occasional jab or inappropriate swipe of the hand. Finally Puuca grasped the wrong end of the blade, yelping as bit into her hand but she retracted it and handed it to Garu who swiftly set to work on the stubborn lock.

The noises continued outside of their prison but Garu ignored the ruckus to focus on the spring he was able to infiltrate with the tip of the weapon. Giggling it, he heard the promising clicking as he broke the holding mechanisms one by one. The box gave another jolt.

"Shit," Garu murmured. The lock had been nudged from his reach and he'd allowed his frustration to make him forget the presence of a lady and swore.

Pucca shifting behind him got his attention; he had been previously sitting on the legs that now withdrew from him awkwardly. He turned to look at Pucca's crotch; haven pulled her legs back on either side of him. "What-?"

She struck out with her powerful limbs. The box lugged forward. She struck again commanding, "tell me when you can reach the lock again." She continued to strike, reeling in the sort of painful aftershock vibrations that ran up the strong legs.

"Stop!"

She halted, legs partly extended in an attack. Garu worked diligently, not wanting to miss his opportunity again. With a final thrust from his weapon, the spring snapped open. He shoved at the roof, utter relief flowing over him when it cooperated and he was up out of the stifling box, which he had realised still retained the soft musty scent of his and Pucca's earlier... Actions.

Pucca stumbled out of box, having the urge to run a mile just to enjoy this new freedom. Her legs ached from being confined in such a small space, her back cried out in protest as she stretched.

Then the pair took in the scene around them. Just as they got their bearings a woman with short dark hair ran at them screeching wildly. "No! We were so close! He would have loved me- you retched children!" Garu backed away dodging her surprisingly quick attacks, but her rage made her vulnerable to simple strategies.

Garu ducked another blow aimed at his face, jabbing at her exposed side with quick precise hits fully awe of how he was at a disadvantage with his new body. The woman, partially disabled through his attacks to her pressure points, let out an enraged cry. She lunged forward with her entire body knocking Garu off balance.

Pucca, on the other hand, was also engaged in combat with a man whom resembled a clown she once knew. She was fascinated by how her muscles flexed and tightened with a rush of energy; the mere strength in her arms was absurd. _So this was how Garu felt all the time? No wonder he was so at ease in his skin.  
_

She shoved her attacker, knocking at his arm that held a long metal bar of some sort. She pressed her advantage, pushing the man into retreating to the side of the ship she realised she was aboard. Narrowing her gaze, Pucca knocked the man so he was flailing his arms to keep from falling overboard. The Clown turned to her, holding the staff out at her with a strange grin of his own. He pulled a tab at the end and a puff of powder rushed from the staff into her face. She coughed as the offensive powder infiltrated her mouth and nose, making her eyes tear up.

The Clowns laughter was cut short with a startled gargle. Pucca spluttered, her chest burning from inhaling the gritting substance. "Pucca!"

Pucca blinked her tears from her eyes, making out a blurry image of a roughed up Ching. She smiled ruefully at her, "Guess you got sick of waiting for us?"

"You could say that," Ching replied, grasping her best friend's rough hand pulling her towards the docking plank. "Abyo! Grab him and go!"

Pucca peered behind her to see Garu dispatch of the crazed woman, glancing down after her into the deep water, before running to follow them.

...

The sound of his fist connecting with the magician's nose rung out in the small room of Garu's home. Pucca drew his arm back to strike again when Garu placed a dainty palm on his arm to stop her.

"Enough, Pucca." He turned to their captive, his bruised face quite plump from the beating. Frankly, he felt no sympathy for the man and instead felt a surge of pride to the colourful job Pucca had done to his face before the gang could register her movements. "I'll ask you again. How do we reverse this curse?"

The Shaman laughed weakly. "You think I-I know? It was supposed to kill you for god's sake-" a sharp slap interrupted him. Ching, surprised by her own surge of anger, felt the tingling of the contact in her palm. Abyo, feeling his own sense of pride in the sound of the slap, gently removed her from the room to be sitting next to Pucca outside. He found it rather amusing to see the pair of girls sitting there fuming on the steps like a couple of three year olds who've been told they have been watching too much TV that day.

When he'd returned Garu had his hand clasped around the man's neck threateningly._ Did everyone need a time out today? _He thought.

"You're going to switch us back or so help me..."

"I told you how you could-" the rest of his sentence was choked into silence.

"Like I'd believe that bullshit," he growled.

Shocked, Abyo stepped forward only to be glared at from his friend. "Dude, if there's a possibility that his idea, whatever it is, could work then shouldn't we at least-"

"No," he snapped, his grip becoming tighter.

"Dude!" Abyo rushed forward to pull his friend forcefully away from the man who at this point had turned a dangerous shade of purple. Garu fought, further infuriated by how weak this body was compared to his own. He growled at the magician who was grinning strangely at him. "Garu, calm the fuck down."

Garu finally struggled free from his friend, huffing and shaking his aching shoulders. He flexed his fingers, withdrawing his long nails from his palms allowing blood to drip to the floor. "You've got to chill, man. Jeez." He shook off the hand that Abyo had place comfortingly on his shoulder, muttering incoherently. "Go cool off outside. You're acting insane."

"I'm fine, Abyo," he snapped.

"Dude. Look at you, you're a wreck. What's going on, you PMS-ing or something?" Abyo's attempt to lighten his mood with the joke gained him a withered look and his laughter subsided very quickly. Garu stormed out, swooping passing the girls and proceeded to pace up and down the walkway letting the cool air chill his pumping blood.

When he finally relaxed to a somewhat reasonable level, Garu did a review of his behaviour. He had been feeling very unstable since he had gotten into this body and consequently he was starting to understand why a lot of women had difficulty remaining calm. Perplexed with the intensity of these emotions, he called Pucca over hoping to get a reasonable explanation.

"You okay?" She herself had had time to cool her head from her earlier explosion.

"I'm... What's going on with me?" He scrutinised her with hard eyes. She looked back at him confused. "Why am I so all over the place? I almost suffocated that man!"

Pucca's expression changed as she concentrated for a moment, her lips forming soundless words. _Twenty three days_. She smiled cheekily up at him, holding back her laughter. "I think I know what's happening."

"What?" He demanded.

She dropped a hand down onto his shoulder and smirked, "You're close to that time." Like any other normal male, Garu displayed nothing other than utter confusion.

"You're period. You're going to have your period."

She watched, her smile widening by the second, at the blood draining from Garu's face.

"Y-y-your joking... Right?"

She almost felt sorry for him. She shook her head.

He gave a shuddering breath. Oh _god, why did he have to come back to Sooga Village? What had possessed him to agree to returning after so long without contact?_

"Don't worry, I'll help you out." He smiled weakly at her. "Come on, let's go back. Ching may start to get the wrong idea."

"Wait," he grabbed her arm to stop her from turning away. She looked at him expectantly. "Don't tell Abyo about this?" He paused, "please?"

"Sure."

* * *

**Poor Garu. He got WAY more than he bargained for coming back to Sooga village. He thought he'd come back, catch up with some old buddies and leave with a lighter heart and more determination to prove himself... Nope XD**

**Please tell me you're also enjoying this unlikely, embarrassing journey? :P Let me know what you think!**


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